His Dream
by MugglesUnite
Summary: The war is over but Ginny still can't help but wonder if Harry actually loves her. One-shot. Post-Hogwarts.


_Disclaimer: I wish I owned the characters, but I don't._

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Ginny didn't understand why Harry kept torturing himself like this.

The war had ended four months ago and the dark and gloomy cast that Lord Voldemort had put over Britain was finally gone. No longer did people have to wake up wondering if they would make it through the day safely. Most, if not all, of the Death Eaters responsible for assisting Voldemort in his attack where either killed in battle, executed afterwards, or tossed in Azkaban for the rest of their lives. The ones that had made it out alive, if any at all, were no doubt in hiding, hoping that no one would find them and make them pay for their bad deeds.

Ginny and her family, excluding George, were doing much better than expected. Although losing Fred was heartbreaking, they were still managing to get through the days. Ginny did worry about George sometimes, though. He still had the joke shop and was keeping busy, but Ginny couldn't help but wonder what it felt like to him. Although Fred was her brother and she loved him dearly, she knew that Fred and George would always be just that..._Fred and George_. However, now it was just _George._ It must have felt like losing half of yourself.

Luckily for Ginny, she had a distraction. To say that she was surprised when Harry proposed to her just four weeks after the fighting ended would be an understatement. After all, they had spent the past six years tip-toeing around each other, having moments here and there and then acting as though they were complete strangers the next. She understood that part, of course. Harry was Ron's best friend and Ginny was Ron's little sister. There was no doubt that the situation must have caused a little confusion and guilt on Harry's part. After all, it was kind of rule that you weren't supposed to snog your best friend's little sister.

That didn't stop Harry, though. Three days after everything was set and done, Harry had rounded up everything he owned and moved into 12 Grimmauld Place. Every night from then on, Ginny would join Harry there. They wouldn't do anything, both were too old-fashioned and wanted to wait until marriage, but Ginny would cuddle up against his chest and Harry would wrap his arms around here. Then, they would sit there for hours, just kissing and whispering to each other. These were the moments that Ginny liked the best. Harry would build up a fire in the fireplace and then they would bury themselves under piles of blankets, just holding each other.

Ginny was ecstatic at first that Harry actually wanted to be with her. However, after a while, she couldn't help but wonder if Harry was just using her to get through the night like some men used firewhiskey. Was she just a distraction? Someone Harry needed to fall asleep? Ginny didn't mind being that for Harry because, let's face it, she would be anything he needed her to be, but she wanted to know if he actually cared about her. Did he want to marry her and start a family with her and grow old with her? Or would he eventually grow tired of her and move on to something else...someone else? These thoughts lasted for a few days until her nerves were finally settled.

Ginny had woken up on May 22nd fully content on going through the motions. She would hop into the shower, travel back to the Burrow, eat the breakfast her mum would prepare, and head straight into her bedroom to finish all the work that the students at Hogwarts were assigned while the ancient was being rebuilt due to the damage the war had caused. Then, after she finished her work, she pack up a plate of food that her mum had made for both her and Harry and then she would head over to 12 Grimmauld Place for the night. There, they would eat silence, clean up the kitchen together, and Harry would start a fire before both of them made their way under the bed covers again.

The morning of May 22nd, however, started much different than she had planned. Instead of sliding out from underneath Harry's arms like she normally did, Harry had caught her hand before she made it out of the bed. She was confused at first, but when he didn't let go, she gave in and laid back down against his chest. The one word that Ginny had been waiting for him tofinally say fell through his lips in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Stay."

That was all Ginny needed to here and she laid in bed with him for the next two hours. They held hands and he kissed her, whispering things into her hair and brushing his fingertips against her skin. It wasn't until noon finally rolled around when Harry got up. He didn't say a word to Ginny, but he gave her a sweet kiss before walking out of the room. She heard a drawer opening in the next room over and a minute later, Harry returned. She could see he was holding something, but what, she didn't know. Wordlessly, he slipped back into the bed and looked deeply into Ginny's eyes, like no man had ever before. She swore her heart melted right then and there, but before she could say something, his hand lifted and Ginny could finally see what he had been holding.

A ring. A small, simple ring with a gold band and a small diamond in the center. Her breath caught in her throat and the faint trace of a smile was playing on his lips.

"Marry me," He said simply, it sounding more like a comment than a question. In this moment, Ginny realized, Harry had been the most forward he had ever been with her in their entire life.

Nodding, Ginny felt the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Of course," She managed to croak out. She smiled and held out her left hand. Harry slipped the ring onto her finger and then kissed it.

"I love you," He had told her for the first ever and Ginny could tell he meant it.

"I love you, too," She said before kissing him more passionately than she ever had before.

For the rest of day, they stayed in bed, holding each other. Then, that night, they finally convinced themselves to get up and apparate to the Burrow, where Molly Weasley had dinner on the table. After the meal was over and everyone was sitting at the dining table, Harry and Ginny announced their news and for the rest of the night nobody could stop smiling, not even George.

For the next few days after their engagement, Harry and Ginny went through a sort of honeymoon phase. They went on walks in the morning, traveled to the city and ventured around during the day, and then at night they would lay together in the comfort of Harry's bed. The next month, June, came quickly and the two began to make plans. Although Harry couldn't bring himself to sell 12 Grimmauld Place, he couldn't see himself living there forever. So instead, he and Ginny decided that they were going buy a house together. There was only one place, Ginny knew, that Harry wanted to live in, too.

For the next two weeks of June, the couple looked in houses around Godric's Hollow. Although there weren't many houses to chose from, Harry had insisted on making sure they were choosing the right one. In the end, they ended up picking a quaint, two-story house with three bedrooms and a tiny kitchen. It was definitely bigger than they needed right then, but in the future, when they finally had kids, they decided it would be perfect. Within days, everything was legalized, the contracts had been signed, the money had been paid, and Harry and Ginny were officially new homeowners.

They settled in nicely and created a routine. Harry had started his training at the Auror's office along with Ron and Ginny was unofficially practicing with the Holyhead Harpies even though she still had one more year at Hogwarts. Each day the two got home from wherever they were and cooked dinner together and then did the dishes together. At night, the would light a fire and snuggle up on the couch together while glasses of wine before eventually heading off to bed.

That was four months ago and now August was finally here. Ginny would be going back to school in less than a month and she couldn't help but start to feel like being in Godric's Hollow was starting to put more and more stress on their relationship. She still loved him dearly, yes, and she knew he loved her, but something had seemed to change once Harry had finally built up the courage to visit his parent's grave again. He had become more distant and turned to firewhiskey more and more often during the night.

He went to their graves every Sunday bringing them new flowers and then he would sit out their for hours. Ginny could see him, too. Their house was located just off the main square where the graveyard was and a window from one of their second-story bedrooms gave her a perfect view. Ginny would watch him talk to the graves...talk to his parents. Then, finally, when the sun went down, he say his goodbyes and head back to the house with a solemn look on his face. For the rest of the night he would be silent and emotionless.

Ginny had tried to get him to talk about it at first but she quickly realized it was no use. He would brush her off and then grab a glass of firewhiskey before retiring to their bedroom for the rest of the night. With their wedding approaching more and more quickly everyday—they would be having it in the following June after Ginny graduated from Hogwarts—she wondered if he would decide to back out. To top it off, Ginny would be leaving soon and the next time they would see each is when Christmas rolled around. Who's to say that he won't have drunken himself into a stupor by then with no one there to take the bottle away from him when he had enough.

Ginny worried about these things constantly. What kind of man will he turn into when she was gone? Will he turn to firewhiskey as his only comfort? Will he begin to skip work to go to pubs? Will he alienate himself from everyone who cares about him? Will he right back to her when she sends him letters from school or will he toss them away and forget about them?

These questions constantly strung through her mind, haunting her every day. And now, as she stood in the empty second-story bedroom looking out the window at him, she couldn't help but worry if Harry would change his mind completely when she is gone. Would he not want to marry her anymore? If that is the case, she decides, than she would rather know now instead of later. Before she can convince herself it is a bad idea, Ginny heads downstairs and pulls on her thick grey coat and her boots before making the trek across the street to the graveyard.

When she is less than five feet behind him, he looks over his shoulder at her. A confused expression works a way onto his face and he is no doubt wondering why Ginny is here. She has never followed him out here before.

"Hey," She says softly.

He gives her a small, forced smile. "Hi."

She shifts uncomfortably under the melting snow from the night before. "Can we talk?"

His face darkens at this before nodding and patting the empty spot on the bench he is sitting on. Ginny sits down, leaving a few inches of space between them and she stares down at the gravestone in front of them.

_Loving parents and friends._

"Do you love me?" She blurts out, turning to face him.

He furrows his brow at this as though he can't possibly understand why she would ask him such a thing. "Of course I do."

She studies his eyes. His beautiful green eyes. "Do you want to marry me?"

He gives her the same look. "Ginny—"

"It's a serious question, Harry. Do you or do you not want to marry me?"

He sighs and looks back at the headstone. They sit in silence for the next few minutes and every second Ginny can feel her heart breaking a little bit more. Finally, after it seems like years have passed, he finally speaks up.

"The ring I gave you," He said, folding his hands together in his lap. "It was my mum's."

Ginny runs her fingers over the small diamond. It really is a beautiful ring, even if it isn't as extravagant as the more modern ones that men were buying these days for their girlfriends.

Harry continues on, his eyes fixed on the grave. "Sirius said that my father bought for her when they were in their seventh year. They had only been dating a few months before he proposed to her. His mom-my grandmother-was concerned it was too soon for them to get married since they were so young. They had planned their wedding just a few months after they were to graduate." He paused for a moment and cleared his throat. "Sirius told me that my mom when hesitant at first when he asked her to marry him. She asked him if he was sure and if he thought it was too soon. You want to know what he told her?" He asked her. Ginny nodded. "He told her that why should they wait if he already loved her more than anything and everything in the world. He asked why should they wait if he was already positive she was the only girl he wanted to be with and marry and have kids with. He also told her that he already knows that when he looks to the future, the only person he wants to see himself waking up next to every morning is her."

Harry reached over and grabbed Ginny's hand in his. "I love you, Ginny, and I gave you that ring because you are the only person I can ever see myself with in the future. When I think of having children, I can only think of you being their mother. When I think of going to weddings and graduations and birthday parties, the only person I see next to me, holding my hand, is you. That's why I gave you that ring and that's why I intend on marrying you in June. You're my dream, Ginny."

Ginny is speechless. Absolutely and utterly speechless, with small tears welling up in her eyes. Harry takes this as a sign to go on.

"I know I have been unfair to you lately and I'm sorry. That's enough to make it better, I know that, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, my feelings for you are only going to keep growing stronger and stronger. That's because I love—"

Harry is cut off by the sudden attack of Ginny's lips upon his. They sit there for what seems like hours, their lips pressed together and their fingers interlocked with each other until finally the bitter cold is too much to bear. Hand in hand, they make the trek back to their house and inside they cuddle up in front of the fireplace like they had so many times before. This time, though, Ginny can't help but feel more happy than ever before.

With his arm wrapped around her shoulders and her head resting on his chest, they watch the flames bounce around as the create a soft orange glow around the room.

"I love you." Harry whispers into her hair.

She can't help but blush. "Always?"

"Always."

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_Like it? Love it? Hate it? Leave a review and let me know!_

_This is the first Hinny one-shot I've done before so thank you if you actually took the time to read it. I was thinking I might put up a sequel to this one if people actually like this one, maybe about their wedding or their kids or something? I don't know yet, so you should leave your thoughts in a review and let me know if you'd be interested in reading it! Also, if you like this one, let your friends know so they can check it out too!_

_Thanks again for taking the time to read this! Love you all!_


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